Following the lecture was a reception in the Russell Sage Dining Hall. Faculty who were recognized received a red rose to wear on their lapels. Recognized professors included those who were early career award winners, received promotions, and received awards from organizations outside of RPI.

Clinical Associate Professor Roger Grice said he received the recognition because he earned a society award for teaching technical communication. He was a teacher or mentor to half of the people on the board that chose him. He said he “helped reshape the profession over the years.”

Thiagarajan Ravichandran, associate professor of management in Rensselaer’s Lally School, was named associate editor of MIS Quarterly. He said, “It is a big deal in my field because it takes a lot of years of work before you get recognized.”

Before the formal recognition portion of the reception, where the recognized faculty received a token of recognition, attendees were free to talk and enjoy the refreshments. For the formal recognition portion, Peterson made the opening remarks and trustees presented the recipients with the actual recognition award.

Not only current faculty received recognition. Arthur Bergles, professor of engineering emeritus, was elected to the Italian national academy of sciences. There are only 58 regular members in the academy and 21 additional foreign members. He received the honor for his work in thermal engineering. He follows in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein, two other Americans elected to the society. Bergles said, “I’ve been fairly fortunate. I’m a member of several other academies overseas including the Royal Academy in the UK.”